Apply for Financial Aid

Before you apply

 Before you begin the application process, learn what you need to do to get ready to apply.

Most types of aid we award are need-based, and you will be awarded your maximum aid eligibility up front. Here’s how we calculate your need:

Your cost of attendance (COA) – Student Aid Index (SAI) = Your need

Regardless of whether you receive need-based aid, non-need-based aid, or both, your award will never be more than your cost of attendance. And keep in mind that there’s no guarantee you’ll receive the whole amount you need to cover all of your expenses.

When you're filling out your FAFSA, you'll be asked to invite your contributors. So, have their names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and email addresses ready. Each contributor will have to log in and provide their consent and approval. Learn more about who is considered a contributor when filling out your FAFSA.

Be sure to apply as soon as possible after the application becomes available. The application will be available in December and we recommend filing before April 15.

The Student Aid Index (SAI) replaces the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) as the criteria used to determine whether you're eligible for certain types of aid, and if so, how much you can be awarded. Your SAI is calculated based on the financial information you provide on your FAFSA. (Your SAI doesn’t tell you what you’ll pay for your education, though. In many cases, families contribute more than the SAI to cover all expenses.)

For priority awarding, be sure to fill out a new FAFSA before April 15.

When you apply

Make sure you have the important pieces of information listed below. Having everything together before you start will make filling out the FAFSA easier.

To file your FAFSA, you and all household contributors need to create a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID. This is a username and password combination that you’ll use to securely access your financial aid information and electronically sign your FAFSA.

Learn more about your FSA ID

IU Bloomington’s federal school code is 001809.

Contributors

When you’re filling out your FAFSA, you’ll be asked to invite your contributors—parents, step-parents, or spouses. So, have their names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and email addresses ready.

Each contributor will have to create an FSA ID to log in. They will also need to provide their consent and approval for the direct data exchange of Federal Tax Information from the IRS to the FAFSA. If consent and approval is declined, the student will be ineligible for federal student aid. 

Financial information

Every contributor will need the following information while completing the FAFSA:

  • Tax return
  • Records of child support received
  • Current balance of cash, checking, and savings accounts
  • Records of net worth of investments, businesses, and investment farms

Social security number

You’ll need your Social Security number. You’ll also need your contributors’ Social Security numbers if you’re a dependent.

Alien registration number

Not a U.S. citizen? You’ll need your alien registration number, also known as your alien number, A-Number, or USCIS#.

Once you’ve gathered everything you need, you’re ready to file your FAFSA. The online application will guide you through the process—just follow the directions on the screen. You’re all set!

A note about dependency

Your dependency status is determined by a group of dependency questions on the FAFSA. If you can’t answer “yes” to any of the questions, you’ll be considered dependent and advised to supply parental information on your FAFSA.

Learn more about dependency status

After you apply

Read below for instructions and to learn more about what you can do after you apply.

Check your One.IU To Do List and check your mail and email regularly for communication from us. Read and respond to all letters, emails, and other communications from us as soon as possible. If you have questions, contact us as soon as possible as well—we’re here to help you.

You’ll get a financial aid notification letter from us as soon as we’ve put together an award package for you. If you receive more funding after your award package has been put together, and that funding causes your aid total to exceed your cost of attendance (COA), your award package may change. Remember, you can never be awarded more than your COA—and your aid can change even if it doesn’t exceed your COA.

If you’re an incoming freshman, we’ll send you a paper Financial Aid Notice letter by late April. It will include an estimate of your financial aid, your estimated cost of attendance, and other information you’ll want to know.

If you’re a current student, we’ll email you in June to let you know that your financial aid summary is available in the Student Center in One.IU.

You may be asked to verify the information you provided on your FAFSA before you can be declared eligible to receive financial aid. We’ll contact you by mail if you’re selected for verification. And check your One.IU To Do List—we’ll notify you there, too.

Be sure to complete verification as quickly as you can and turn in all required documents at the same time to avoid delays with your financial aid. To make sure your aid is processed in time for the fall semester bill, you should finish all required steps no later than June 15. We’ll process your file within three weeks after we have all your documentation.

Learn more about FAFSA verification

Use our secure contact form to send us your completed forms or mail them to:

Office of Student Financial Assistance
ATTN: Verification Department
Indiana University
408 N. Union Street
Bloomington, IN 47405

Need help with signing verification forms? Watch the video below.

Learn how to sign verification forms

Be sure to complete verification as quickly as you can and turn in all required documents at the same time to avoid delays with your financial aid. To make sure your aid is processed in time for the fall semester bill, you should finish all required steps no later than June 15. We’ll process your file within three weeks after we have all of your documentation.

Keep watching your IU email account and your To Do List for updates about the verification process.

Get information about your To Do List

Use our secure contact form to send us your completed forms or mail them to:

Office of Student Financial Assistance
ATTN: Verification Department
Indiana University
408 N. Union Street
Bloomington, IN 47405

Need help with signing verification forms? Watch the video below.

Learn how to sign verification forms